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Jason Pierre-Paul

Another week come and gone. My picks record stands at 69-50 after an 8-6 week.

Bye weeks: Ravens, Chiefs, Cardinals, Texans, Lions and Seahawks

Thursday Night Football

Browns @ Bengals: Josh McCown is out (due to injury), Johnny Manziel is back in. And while McCown has played well, Manziel led the Browns to one of their best games this season and probably should’ve been given more of a chance to be the starter. But it really doesn’t matter who starts for Cleveland on Thursday, because they face an undefeated Bengals team on the road. I like the Bengals to find their run game again and get a fairly easy week 9 victory to improve to 8-0. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Dolphins @ Bills:It’s a battle to stay out of the cellar in the AFC East, and not a fight for a possible wild card like both teams probably thought it might be coming into the season. The winner improves to .500 and stays relavant. The loser doesn’t. Miami is coming off a dud against the the Pats on a long week, while the Bills are coming off their bye week. I don’t like either of these teams right now, but I trust the Dolphins offense more than the Bills, so I’ll take the road team in this one. MIAMI WINS

Packers @ Panthers: Aaron Rodgers and company had themselves their worst performance of the year last week and were handed their first loss by an undefeated Broncos squad. And it doesn’t get easier this week against another undefeated team. The Packers offense has been on a decline the past few weeks, so it’s not a surprise they looked terrible at the best defense in the league. Now they get a red hot Carolina team that has won 11 straight dating back to last season. That being said, while I finally trust this Panthers team, I also didn’t like what I saw in the second half against the Colts when they nearly blew a double digit lead. I can’t imagine another horrible performance from Rodgers, so I think this is the week the Panthers fall, as the Green Bay defense has been very good all year. GREEN BAY WINS

Jaguars @ Jets: The Jets have lost two straight, while the Jags are coming off their second win and their bye week. New York’s defense has been a shell of itself the last couple weeks, and they have issues at QB. But they’re a better team than the Jags and I think they correct things enough to get their 5th win of the season. NEW YORK WINS

Rams @ Vikings: Both teams are playing well right now. St Louis is living by their run game, while the Vikings are living by their defense. The Rams tend to play up to their opponents, so I expect this to be a well-played, even game that comes down to the fourth water. I like the home team to make the plays down the stretch and improve to 6-2. MINNESOTA WINS

Redskins @ Patriots: The Redskins have had some ups, some downs, some more downs and a bye week. The Patriots have been all up and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. The reigning champs are healthy and have a very comfortable lead in the AFC East. And as bad as it has been at times for Washington, they are in the most wide open division in the NFC. Let’s be honest, this will probably be the most lopsided game of the week. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Titans @ Saints: Tennessee is in shambles and has a new head coach. What they need is week one Marcus Mariota back and a defense. New Orleans is on fire, and looking more like the team I thought they’d be to start the season. Their defense is a glaring weak point, but the offense showed last week it can do whatever it wants when clicking. It’ll be another high scoring win for the Saints here in week nine. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Raiders @ Steelers: Oakland looks like it’s rounding into shape after a big road win over the Jets. Pittsburgh got Ben Roethlisberger back, but lost Le’Veon Bell in a loss to Cincinnati. The offense is clicking for Oakland, and the defense is doing it’s job. The Steelers were able to stay afloat without Big Ben, and now need to do the same again without Bell, who missed the first two games of the season. I think this will be a good game, but as hard as it is to go into Pittsburgh and win, I think the Raiders find a way and move to 5-3. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Giants @ Buccaneers: One team is coming off a last minute loss, the other, an OT win. New York had one of its best offensive performances in team history. But the defense couldn’t stop anyone, so Eli Manning became the first QB in NFL history to throw six touchdowns and zero interceptions in a loss. As for Tampa Bay, they nearly blew a big lead for the second week in a row. For that reason, the Giants should have no excuse but to put up another big number on offense, and with the possible return of Jason Pierre-Paul and a worse offensive team than New Orleans as their opponents, they should have no trouble getting back over .500. NEW YORK WINS

Falcons @ 49ers: Atlanta is coming off a bad loss to the Bucs, while the Niners in a time of transition after benching Colin Kaepernick for Blaine Gabbert. San Francisco has a bottom five defense and offense, while the Falcons continue to be one of the NFL’s best despite the week eight hiccup. This should be an easy win for Atlanta as they look to stay at worst a game back of Carolina in the South. ATLANTA WINS

Broncos @ Colts: Denver is coming off their best win of the season and boast the league’s best defense. Imagine if Peyton Manning was actually playing well? It can still happen of course, and against a struggling Indianapolis team, it could be a breakout week for the an tied with for the most QB wins in NFL history. And wouldn’t it be fitting for Manning to get the record win against the team he won a majority of those games with? Meanwhile, his replacement in Andrew Luck finally looked like himself late against Carolina on Monday. But it still ended in another loss. For as explosive as he is, turnovers continue to plague him and are holding this team back right now. An offensive coordinator move could help, but against this defense, it’s going to be tough. DENVER WINS

Sunday Night Football

Eagles @ Cowboys: It’s a battle of two struggling NFC East teams that despite their issues, have a legitimate chance to rebound and win their division. Both teams have been more down than up this season, but for very different reasons. Healthy Dallas was 2-0, but they’ve lost 5 straight without Tony Romo. Fairly healthy Philadelphia has just been very inconsistent, particularly on offense. So who keeps hope alive on Sunday Night? Give me Dez Bryant to have a big second week back from injury and a much better Matt Cassel. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Bears @ Chargers: Two teams having disappointing seasons square off in prime-time. The trade deadline has come and gone and the Bears didn’t tear down the roster like some thought they might. As for the Chargers, their offense has been pretty good all season, but they will now be without a big weapon in Keenan Allen. Neither team has a good defense, but based on the offenses, I think San Diego has one of their best games of the season and their easiest wins as well. SAN DIEGO WINS

11 down. 6 to go. And playoff races are starting to heat up. The final undefeated has fallen, while leads atop divisions have shrunken, grown and switched hands. Everything you could hope as the days inch closer to the holidays.

2 more teams were off this week: the Cowboys and the Rams.

NFC EAST (The Birds Are All Alone Atop the Division… For Now)

Eagles: A 3rd straight victory snapped a franchise record 10-game home losing streak. Up 17-0 at the halftime break, the defense was able to hold off a 4th quarter comeback. The offense looked great in the 1st half, but only scored once in the 2nd half. Nick Foles used his legs, not his arm, to find the end-zone this week. Philly’s new top gun ran in for a score, while LeSean McCoy did the rest, finding pay-dirt twice on the afternoon. Foles threw no TDs, while continuing his streak of no interceptions in tack as apart of a 298-yard passing day. They became the 8th team in NFL history with at least 2,800 passing yards and 1,600 rushing yards through it’s first 11 games. With Dallas off, Philly takes over sole possession of 1st in the East, but they have already lost once to the Cowboys with another match-up ahead. (6-5)

Cowboys: Bye Week. (5-5)

Giants: 4 straight wins for the Giants, and this was the best all-around game in the stretch. Eli Manning looked as good as he has since week 1 (the part after those 3 interceptions to start the year). The struggling 2-time Superbowl MVP threw a 26-yard touchdown to Ruben Randle in a game where he completed 25 of 35 passes for 279 yards. Running backs Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs did their thing on the ground, combining for 75 yards and a score. The defense allowed just the 2nd touchdown in their last 18 quarters, and they continued to shut down opposing backs. Up just 7 in the 4th, Jason Pierre-Paul sealed the win with a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown.(4-6)

Redskins: The offense couldn’t do anything right until the 4th quarter. Down 24-0, Robert Griffin III threw TD passes of 62 and 41 yards to Darrel Young and Aldrick Robinson, while converting on both 2-point conversions to get within 8. With one final drive, Griffin drove Washington all the way to the Eagles 18 before a Brandon Boykin interception sealed the loss. Griffin and Alfred Morris combined for 137 yards on the ground, but two RGIII turnovers proved too costly in the end. They’re now alone in last place, with two against the Giants left to be played.(3-7)

NFC NORTH (It’s Crowded at the Top)

Lions: A golden opportunity to at least hold onto their 1 game lead, they got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh and never recovered. They now have company atop the division, though should they end in a tie with Chicago, they hold the tiebreaker. Matt Stafford did become the franchise’s leading passer thanks to his 362-yards passing. And Calvin Johnson put up monster numbers again, with 179 and a score. But much of their damage came in a 27 point 2nd quarter. Detroit was shutout in the 2nd half, while the defense surrendered 4 Steelers touchdowns and 3 field-goals. (6-4)

Bears:A long weather delay gave Chicago new life, leading to an overtime win on the strength of a 38-yard Robbie Gould field-goal. Down 10-0 with 4:51 in the 1st, play was stopped because of tornado warnings. Nearly 2 hours later, play resumed, and the Bears woke up. Josh McCown connected with Matt Forte on his lone TD pass of the day. Forte added 83-yards on the ground to that receiving touchdown. Defensive end David Bass added a score on defense with a 24-yard interception return of Joe Flacco in the 2nd quarter. (6-4)

Packers: Scott Tolzien had a chance to tie in the 4th quarter, but a pick 6 sealed a 3rd straight loss since losing Aaron Rodgers and then Seneca Wallace. Despite nearly 350 yards passing, the team couldn’t recover from Tolzien’s 3 interceptions, including the game sealing pick 6. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy was all but shutdown, managing just 27 rushing yards and a score that turned into nothing more than window dressing. All hope is not lost, with Rodgers back to practice and match-ups against all three division foes left on the schedule.(5-5)

Vikings: Neither Christian Ponder, or Matt Cassel could solve the Seahawks defense, combining for 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a lost fumble on Sunday. Toby Gerhart and not Adrian Peterson led the team in rushing yards, but the 132 combined yards on the ground didn’t help stave off defeat. Just about the only things they did well were to keep it close at half, and limit Lynch everywhere but the redzone. (2-8)

NFC SOUTH (The Saints Keep Marching On)

Saints: It was a defensive struggle in the 2nd half, but 9 points in the 4th gave New Orleans the come-from-behind home victory over San Francisco. Tied late, Marques Colston finished off a record day with a 20-yard catch to set up Garrett Hartley’s 31-yard game winning field goal as time expired. The wide-receiver out of Hofstra finished the day with five catches for 80 yards to become the Saints all-time leader in yards receiving with 7,922. It wasn’t the Saints best day offensively, but it was enough thanks to the play of the defense. 3 sacks and a pick of Colin Kaepernick gave Drew Brees and company enough time to get 3 scoring drives in the 4th. (8-2)

Panthers: Maybe now is the time to start talking about this team as a threat. A 4-point win on Monday night gives them 6 straight, and back-to-back statement wins. Cam Newton threw for 3 touchdowns for the 3rd time this season, something he did only twice his first 2 seasons in the league. He spread the wealth, hitting 3 different receivers for scores, while 3 finished with at least 50-yards receiving. Ted Ginn Jr was the recipient of the game winner with just over a minute to play in regulation. Newton was also the only real threat in the run game, leading the way with 62 on the ground to go with 209 in the air. The defense forced two turnovers, including a Brady INT in the end-zone as time expired. According to the Panthers PR department, they’re the first team since the 1935 Giants to allow 1 or fewer first half touchdowns over their first 10 games of the season.(7-3)

Buccaneers: Don’t look now but the previously win-less Bucs are on a win streak. Waiver wire pick-up Bobby Rainey had himself a day in the place of the injured Doug Martin and Mike James. 162-yards rushing and 2 scores for the 2nd year back out of Western Kentucky. Not to mention a 3rd touchdown catch for Rainey thrown by Mike Glennon, who finished with 231 and two scores on the day. Vincent Jackson had a monster day, grabbing 10 passes for 165 and a touchdown. (2-8)

Falcons: I never thought this team would be at the bottom of the division with all the talent they have, but here they are. They’ve now dropped 4 straight, and according to NFL.com, they’ve been outscored 135-61 in that stretch. Matt Ryan threw 2 touchdowns, but also another 2 interceptions. Harry Douglas had another good game despite being questionable leading up to kick-off, catching 6 passes for 134-yards and a score. The run game was finally decent, but if you can’t stop the run or get stops in the red-zone, you’re not going to win many games. (2-8)

NFC WEST (The Hawks Are Flying Away With It)

Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch didn’t have the monster yardage total he’s accustomed to, but he made his yards count, taking it in for 2 scores, one on the ground and one in the air, in a big win over the Vikings. Russell Wilson didn’t throw it much, but he did complete 13 of 18 for 230 and two touchdowns. It was still a game at the half, but the defense did it’s job in the 2nd half, including a pick 6 to help pull away for good. The win makes them just 1 of 3 teams with just 1 loss, and keeps their 1-game lead for the NFC’s number 1 seed in tact after the Saints win. Not to mention all but locks up the West after the aforementioned New Orleans win over San Francisco. (10-1)

49ers: Make it two straight losses after a 5-game stretched where San Fran looked nearly unbeatable. This team doesn’t blow many leads, but they did just that against the Saints.Colin Kaepernick was sacked 3 times, threw 2 touchdowns and an interception. He nor running back Frank Gore could get much going on the ground. Aaron Brooks had really the only good game on defense, picking off Brees, getting the teams lone sack and forcing a fumble. Now they’re tied for 2nd with Arizona.(6-4)

Cardinals: Nobody is talking about this team, but they are in a fight for a wildcard thanks in large part to their defense. They got off to a slow start in the 1st quarter, but then both sides of the ball dominated the Jaguars for the rest of the way. Carson Palmer threw for 419 yards and two scores and no picks for the first time all year. Receiver Michael Floyd finished with a career-high 193 yards receiving, including a 91-yard touchdown.(6-4)

Rams: Bye Week. (4-6)

AFC EAST (The Pats Maintain a Decent Lead)

Patriots: They were down 10 early, but rallied back to take the lead in the 4th, but it wasn’t enough. Tom Brady threw for just 1 touchdown, and didn’t get the help he needed from his run game. He had a shot with 4-seconds left from his own 18, but his final throw was picked off in the end-zone. Controversy struck when a flag for what New England thought would be defensive holding was picked up. Brady was visibly upset with the refs as the teams took the field to shake hands. Whether or not the call should’ve been made, the Patriots were once again shutdown by a top flight defense. Lucky for them the Jets didn’t close the gap.(7-3)

Jets: They’re consistently inconsistent. According to NFL.com, they’re the first team to alternate wins and losses the first 10 games of the season. Geno Smith looked like a rookie on the road today, with 2 turnovers in the 1st half alone. Things got worse when he was benched in favor of Matt Simms. Down 20-0 at the half, they could never make a threat on the Bills. Chris Ivory had really the only good day, falling just short of a 100 yards on the ground to go with a score. (5-5)

Dolphins: This needed a win for many reasons, and they battled til the end to get one. Their first since the bully scandal broke, Ryan Tannehill led his team to victory. The 2nd year quarterback threw for 268 yards, including a 39-yard score to tight-end Charles Clay to break a 10-10 tie in the third. Miami also managed 104 yards rushing behind a makeshift offensive line. (5-5)

Bills: EJ Manuel led his team to their 1st win in 3 weeks. Manuel was on point, completing 20 of 28 passes for 245 and 2 scores. The run game didn’t come into play much, but the way the defense stepped up, they didn’t need help on the ground. Jarius Byrd forced two of the Jets 4 turnovers, while Da’Norris Searcy returned his interception for a score. The two teams split the season series, each winning at home. (4-7)

AFC NORTH (The Bengals Pounce, Give Themselves A Big Cushion)

Bengals: Nothing like 31 unanswered 2nd quarter points (the largest output in a quarter in team history) to put a bad start behind you. After losing two straight games in overtime, a rout was what this team needed to get back on track. Andy Dalton shook off a bad start that saw two of his passes picked off in the 1st quarter, one returned for a score, to put them down 13-0 quick. But he came back to throw 3 scores, but on just 93 yards passing. It was a good all around game, with both the defense and special teams finding the end-zone, with a fumble recovery and a blocked punt for a score. (7-4)

Steelers: Don’t look now but they’re technically not in last place anymore after a very slow start to the season. Big Ben and company had their most impressive day on offense. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 367 yards, 4 touchdowns and no turnovers. Add 3 more field-goals for Shaun Suisham and it’s pretty easy to see why this team held off the Lions. (4-6)

Browns: They jumped out to a quick 13-0 score. But then they fell apart on both offense and defense, and you can’t do that against a hungry team like Cincinnati. Jason Campbell threw 3 interceptions, Chris Ogbonnaya lost a fumble and their special teams allowed a score. And despite creating a couple of turnovers of their own, they couldn’t get any real pressure on Dalton. (4-6)

Ravens: Justin Tucker’s 21-yard field goal forced over-time, but it wasn’t enough to save them from the loss. Baltimore jumped out to a quick 10-point lead thanks to a 1-yard Ray Rice touchdown run, and a Tucker 52-yard field goal in the 1st half. But then the weather delay happened. Rice finished with his best total of the season, 131 yards and that score. Joe Flacco ended with 162-yards passing, a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned for 6. It was a golden opportunity to move into a better spot for a possible wild card spot, instead they fall 3 games back of the division lead.(4-6)

AFC South (Indy All But Has This Things Wrapped Up)

Colts: A slow start wasn’t enough to hand Indy their second straight loss, which would’ve been a first in the Chuck Pagano era. Andrew Luck and company woke up in the 3rd quarter to rally from a 17-6 half-time deficit and get their 7th win. The Colts got some much-needed help from Donald Brown, who ran in for two scores for the first time in his career. Luck added an 11-yard scamper of his own. Tight-end Coby Fleener had a career high 8 catches for 107 yards. (7-3)

Titans: Things looked good early, when Chris Johnson’s 30-yard and 7-yard touchdown runs in the 1st quarter put the Colts’ backs against the wall early. But if you can’t turn over the Colts, or stop the run in the red zone, you’re in trouble. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a good day in place of the injured Jake Locker, completing 22 of 28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t enough in the end. They started off the season well, but have taken a turn for the worse as they’re losers of 2 straight and 5 of their last 6.(4-6)

Texans: Make it 8 straight losses. Two early turnovers including Case Keenum’s first career interception gave the Raiders two quick drives from their own 16. Oakland scored on both turnovers and put Houston down 14-0 in the 1st. But 17 unanswered points capped by a career-long 51-yard field goal by Randy Bullock had them up at the half. Down 21-17 in the 3rd, Houston decided to remove a healthy Keenum for Matt Schaub, who hadn’t seen action since he went down in week 6. (2-8)

Jaguars: They jumped out quick, but it wasn’t enough as they were shutoutthrough the final 3 quarters. They scored a touchdown (2 in fact) for the first time at home all season. Maurice Jones-Drew only finished with 23 yards rushing on 14 carries, but he did have one of the two Jacksonville scores.Chad Henne threw two picks, one touchdown. The defense sacked Carson Palmer 3 times, but was unable to turn the Cardinals over. (1-9)

AFC WEST (December is Going to Be Fun in the West)

Broncos: In the biggest game of the week, Denver put up the most points on KC of any opponent. Peyton Manning wasn’t sharp, but the run game was huge in the red zone, while the defense did their best Chiefs impression, with a number of impressive stops and takeaways. Manning extended his record for 300 yard passing games to 81, but threw just one touchdown and lost a fumble in the process. Rookie running back Montee Ball had his best game of the season, capitalizing in the red zone by finding the endzone twice. A huge reason for the good run game was the offensive line, which prevented a sack-happy defense from touching Manning all night. They hold the end in the division, for now. Their 2nd match-up comes in 2 weeks in KC. (9-1)

Chiefs: Alex Smith threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as his team suffered their first loss of the season. They were in the game the whole night, but couldn’t find a way to get over the hump. Dwayne Bowe had a 57-yards receiving and a` touchdown in a game he could have been out for days after being arrested for speeding and marijuana possession. The defense held down the potent Broncos defense for the most part, but it was still almost 15 points more than their opponents average. Jaamal Charles had a good day on the ground, running for 78 at 4.9 yards a carry. (9-1)

Raiders: Matt McGloin made quite the impression in his first NFL start. 3 touchdowns (2 of which came on turnovers) and no interceptions for the former Penn State QB. Rashad Jennings continues to make Oakland fans ask Darren McFadden who? with 150 yards and a rushing touchdown to help get his team their 4th win. The defense forced 3 turnovers, and held late with a goal-line stand in the final seconds to stop the Texans comeback attempt. The win ensures they finish with a better win total than a year ago. (4-6)

Chargers: Forever the inconsistent team are these Chargers. San Diego could only muster one touchdown, coming in the 1st quarter to fall for the 3rd straight game. They stayed in the game til the end thanks to 3 Nick Novak field goals. But their possible game winning drive ended with an incomplete pass in the end zone. Philip Rivers fell just short of 300 yards passing, with a touchdown and an interception. Ryan Matthews was able to get back over 100 yards rushing, but was unable to find the end zone. (4-6)

So we’ve seen week 8 come and go, marking the unofficial halfway point of the season.

Sure some teams have already taken their bye, meaning they’ve only played 7 of their 16 game scheduled, but many have played 8. So I figured I’d take a look back at my picks for the major awards and who was gonna win it all, and tell you who really won the 1st half of the season.

My Pre-season Division and Wild Card Winners

NFC: New York, Seattle, Green Bay, Atlanta, Dallas & New Orleans

Clearly I, was very off when I picked the Falcons and Giants to win their divisions. Sure it could still happen, but it’s very unlikely as they sit in 3rd and 4th respectively. But Seattle and Green Bay are both sitting pretty atop their respective divisions, and while Dallas and New Orleans aren’t wildcard times, they of course lead their divisions and would be playoff teams, as I thought they would be. I think the easiest division for me to pick had been the North. But this has become of the of the bigger surprises for me, with both Detroit and Chicago right there heading into the second half. The Saints, who I thought would be in a dog-fight with the Falcons all year for the South are coasting right now, but as we all know, a lot can happen in a short amount of time in the NFL. If the playoffs started today, 4 of my 6 pick would make the playoffs.

AFC: Patriots, Denver, Baltimore, Houston, Cincinnati, and Indy

Here’s another case of getting the teams right (for the most part), just not picking them high enough. Let’s talk about Indianapolis, who are showing they are a legit Superbowl contender, having knocked off three of the best teams in the league (Denver, Seattle and San Francisco), and easily at that. I had them winning the a wild card spot, so I wasn’t really off, but I never thought they’d do this well again. A lot of their success last year came in 4th quarter comebacks, something I didn’t see them replicating. Denver I’m not wrong about, but my biggest shock might be in Kansas City. I knew the Chiefs would be improved, never did I think they’d lead this division. I figured they’d battle for a wild card. But here they are the last undefeated team standing. The Pats hold a slim lead, but things can change quickly if they’re not careful. Baltimore and Houston have been big disappoints, while the Bengals defense has given them a nice lead in the North. Just like in the NFC, 4 of my 6 picks would make the playoffs if they started today.

My AFC and NFC Championship games probably won’t end up quite the way I picked them, but my Superbowl pick of Denver over Seattle (sure call it chalk) does remain as a real possibility.

And how about my pre-season award winners? Here is how some of my picks have changed.

Offensive Rookie of the Year:

I picked Texans Wide-receiver DeAndre Hopkins. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Packers Running Back Eddie Lacy, who I put down as an honorable mention. He’s given the Packers another option on offense, which just makes them more dangerous.

Offensive Player of the Year:

I picked Lions WR Calvin Johnson. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Broncos QB Peyton Manning, another pre-season honorable mention by me. How could he not be the guy right now? Look at his stats: 29 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He’s completing nearly 72% of his passes and has only been sacked 11 times in 8 games. Sure he’s got a lot of weapons but he’s also finding them and making all the throws. But to be fair to Megatron, he’s having an insane year yet again.

Defensive Player of the Year:

I picked Bengals Defensive Tackle Geno Atkins. After a half of football, my vote would now go to the Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali. This guy has done a little bit of everything. 4 forced fumbles, 23 tackles, a pick 6 and 9 sacks.

I picked Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Colts QB Andrew Luck. This guy has shown he was the right guy to take number 1 last year. He can outplay the best of them, and can put early game struggles behind him to help his team late. His numbers aren’t flashy, but he takes care of the ball and is a true leader.

I picked Seahawks Pete Carroll. After a half of football, my vote would now go to Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. When you turn a 2 win team into an undefeated team halfway through the season, you’re going to be considered for awards.

Houston Texans: This is a team I saw as one of the last two standing in the AFC. With a running back tandem like Arian Foster and Ben Tate, with a very good defense that got back Brian Cushing to play along side last year’s defensive player of the year in JJ Watt, I thought it was time for this team to take that next step. But Matt Schaub has regressed, and is now injured, and TJ Yates didn’t do much better backing him up.

Dis-Honorable Mention: New York Giants – They collapsed in the 2nd half of 2012, and have carried that bad play into 2013. Injuries have ravaged the o-line, secondary and running back position, but they still have too many weapons to be just 2-6 in the first half.

Biggest Disappointment – Offensive Player

Ravens RB Ray Rice: This is a guy who is usually atop the rushing yards leader board. But a year removed from helping his team win the Superbowl, Rice hasn’t done much to help his team, and it’s a big reason why they’re just a 2-win team coming out of their bye. At 26, there should still be something left in the tank, but he hasn’t been producing. He’s been very good in his career after the bye, so maybe the extra time off will help get him back on track.

Dis-Honorable Mention: Redskins QB Robert Griffin III – It might not be fair to say this, as the mobile quarterback is coming off a serious knee injury that knocked him out of the playoffs last year. But if you’re going to let him play, that means he’s healthy, which means we should be seeing more consistency from last years Rookie of the Year.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Team

Carolina Panthers: This team is riding on the high of a 3 game win streak that saw their offense put up 30+ points again, and the defense limit its opponents to 13.7 points a game, 2nd only to KC. This team hadn’t been over .500 since before Cam Newton was drafted. They are 2nd in a division where the Falcons play. That means something.

Honorable Mention: Kansas City Chiefs – 2 and 14 to 8 and 0. A sack happy, shutdown defense. A good run game. A quarterback who is very good at game management. They get honorable mention because despite a bad record a year ago, this team sent 6 players to the pro bowl, so the turnaround isn’t a huge surprise. This team is primed for a postseason run.

Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Player

Cowboys LB Sean Lee: This guy has a nose for the football, tied for 1st in the NFL with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a score. He also has the most return yards of a defensive player. He’s also defended 10 passes, recovered a fumble and has a combined 81 tackles.

Honorable Mention: Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor – His team only has 3 wins, and his numbers aren’t great, but after a few years of disappointment, he’s shown glimpses. First of all, those 3 wins match Oakland’s win total from a year ago. He can run with the best of the mobile quarterbacks. And he wasn’t even supposed to be the starter. Matt Flynn was brought in, and Pryor just flat-out beat him for the job.

So there you have it. That was fun, looking back at what I thought preseason and seeing how it’s panning out. Of course there’s still a whole lot of football to be played, and everything I wrote here (or almost everything) could be meaningless come week 9 or 10. But that’s the beauty of the gridiron, nothing stays the same for long. So win, lose or draw, let’s go out and enjoy the 2nd half of the 2013 season as much as we did the 1st half.